Against that cosmic backdrop, Malick presents the troubled life of a family headed by a saintly mom (Chastain) and an alternately tender and cruel dad (Pitt), whose reign over his three sons leaves them disturbed and even hostile toward their father.

Penn plays the oldest son as he reflects back on his boyhood in the 1950s.

"I was a little hesitant about playing the oppressive father, but I felt like the story was so important, and for me, it was really about the kid's journey," said Pitt, also a producer on "The Tree of Life," which debuts in U.S. theaters May 27.